Gatlin shares the world record with Asafa Powell at 9.77 seconds
World and Olympic 100 metres champion Justin Gatlin has admitted failing a drugs test in April.
The American, 24, was told the news by the United States Anti-Doping Agency.

He said: "I have been informed that after a relay race I ran in Kansas City on 22 April, I tested positive for 'testosterone or its precursors'.

"I cannot account for these results, because I have never knowingly used any banned substance or authorised anyone to administer such a substance to me."

He added: "Since learning of the positive test, I have been doing everything in my power to find out what caused this to happen.

It is simply not consistent with either my character or my confidence in my God-given athletic ability to cheat in any way

Justin Gatlin

"I have been and will continue to cooperate fully with Usada as it moves forward with the process it has initiated and hope that when all the facts are revealed it will be determined that I have done nothing wrong."

Gatlin tested positive for an amphetamine at the 2001 US junior championships at the University of Tennessee.

A subsequent ban was overturned after it was discovered the illegal substances were part of the medication he had been taking for a decade to combat attention deficit disorder.

But the International Association of Athletics Federerations made it clear at the time that a further doping violation would signal a life ban for Gatlin.

In his statement on Saturday, Gatlin added: "That experience made me even more vigilant to make certain that I do not come into contact with any banned substance for any reason whatsoever, because any additional anti-doping rule offence could mean a lifetime ban from the sport that I love.

"Since the positive test at the University of Tennessee, I have been involved with efforts to educate people about the dangers of using drugs and would never do anything to disappoint my fans and supporters.

"It is simply not consistent with either my character or my confidence in my God-given athletic ability to cheat in any way."

Athletics had been waiting all year to see a showdown between world record holders Gatlin and Powell, but Gatlin has not raced since June because of injuries and missed Friday's London Grand Prix.

Gatlin came into the sport from an American Football background and only turned professional in 2003.

He won the Olympic 100m title in Athens in 2004 and followed that up by taking the sprint double of 100m and 200m at last year's World Championships in Helsinki.

Gatlin then matched Asafa Powell's world record time of 9.77 seconds in Qatar in May of this year.

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If this does hold up, it would indeed be sad and unfortunate for Gatlin, his training camp [his coach does'nt have the best reputation so this wouldn't have done him any favours] and for the T&F World in general for that matter

I like Gatlin and won't make any kind of comment on him being a drug-user until ALL is proved absolutely fool proof and 100% accurate [c'mon we've all seen drug-test cock-ups in the past]_________________Doubt whom you will, But never yourself.
Proverb
Anon.

I'm not buying into this testosterone and precursers crap anymore. I thought after the Mary Slaney lawsuit that the epi-test : testosterone ratio test had been abandoned as inaccurate. Now it seems to be back. This is the same thing that has tripped up Landis. Eventually a real endocrinologist is going to blow the doors off some of the doctors in WADA and I hope the lawsuits bankrupt the Agency.
There are many natural ways to boost testosterone levels and to limit test to estrogen conversion. All these can affect the epi-test : test ratio.
I can't imagine that Trevor Graham would be stupid enough to let something like this happen. The backlash would be far worse than Charlie Francis.

I agree that this would be a stupid thing to do ... But it, if true, it wouldn't be the first time someone did something stupid ...

I have a question Paul that you might be able to answer ... I remember a few years back, there was a lot of talk on the internet about the precursors and drugs that Trevor was supposedly using ... Do you have any information on that ???

Just curious, cause at the time a lot of folk dismissed it as people hating on Trevor because of his success ... But now in retrospect ... Well ...

The thing that has me most baffled is that I would NEVER have suspected Gatlin in a million years about doping !!!! Tim was easy to believe ... Mitchell was easy to believe ... Just personality wise ... But Gatlin seems SO pure/clean ... Major blow ..._________________Conway
Speed Thrills

Gatlin definitely has or had a look of sincerety about him which makes it a wonder how this came about. One British journalist sums up Gatlin perfectly in my opinion when he says either he was very naive or stupid in his continuing to associate with Graham after so many of his athletes were linked directly or indirectly to drugs or maybe that was the exact reason he was with Graham in the first place.

Another offshoot from this story you may or may not have read is speculation that Powell too might be on drugs. Speculation obviously has no meaning without proof but it certainly doesn't help powell.

I did mention in earlier posts that these two are so ahead of the competition that you are in awe of their abilities but in the same breath it is hard not to raise an eyebrow on those amazing times they seem to churn out effortlesly.

Not trying to make any excuses for the young man, and I have no idea why he made the decision to go with Trevor, but Gat went pro in '03, which as someone said in another thread was around the time that Trevor was being praised far and wide for his role in exposing the whole BALCO situation … Trevor at that time was the man who turned in the syringe and was the new savior of the sport !!!!

Tim and Marion were being associated with Conte and with Charlie Francis, not Trevor … Jarrett was "old" news … Few associate Mitchell with Trevor … And the whole thing with Young/Harrison/Harrison was not an issue yet if I'm not mistaken - at least not at the time of Gat's signing !!!

The big talk about Trevor as a "drug coach" was more here on the Net … As I said earlier there were posts and rumors about his precursors, protocols, "mules" and what not and THAT was where he was really being brought to task !!!

So, somewhat in Gat's defense, the whole "Trevor is tainted" mantra was not as blatant and loud, as it is now, or would be within a year or so of Gat going pro … And one would have to think that Nike (or any shoe company) would have some word of advise for a young person they've just signed to a large contract … Meaning, I would think if THEY had reservations about Gat going to the SprintCap camp they would have voiced them - LOUDLY …

So, while he may have indeed made a bad choice, I'm just saying it may not have appeared as such at the time …

As for Powell, yes I have heard the speculation and rumors .... Would be hard for folk NOT to speculate given that they have indeed been so far ahead of the competition ..._________________Conway
Speed Thrills

I think his legal team have advised him to distance himself from Grahams remarks. It seems they are exploring a different angle of defence which would obviously be the innocent victim approach but a different version than grahams attempt. A little more convincing. Not that I am saying he might not be innocent.

A lot of big names have rushed to the therapist's (Whetstine) support. Salazar, Tom Jordan and others say he exhibits the highest professionalism. The big loser this year is going to be Trevor Graham, outside of Gatlin's ban if it sticks._________________Paul

The Berlin Meet organiser has banned all nine athletes in grahams camp from competing. It sounds a little unfair to punish the rest and also hypocritical as some of these organisers turned their backs on Marion jones even though she never tested positive but was associated with the wrong people so to speak. now the same jones is being welcomed back even though nothing has changed as far as she is concerned.

My favorite quote in this whole mess is one made by Trevor's attorney Joe Zeszotarski:

"It is curious that people who are not familiar with the situation can claim that Trevor
has somehow done something wrong. It is worth reminding everyone that one of the
chief reasons the issue of doping has come to the forefront is because of Trevor's
integrity and courage in turning in the sample that led to the uncovering of the BALCO
enterprise. Given what some people have lost as a result of Trevor's integrity in turning
in the sample, it is not surprising that there are people who would make false claims about him."